Vinaigrettes

While you can find bottles of sauce salade gathering dust on the shelves of French supermarkets, after you’ve seen the ease with which the locals whip up delicious vinaigrette, you’ll wonder why anyone would ever buy something that is so easily made at home. French vinaigrettes follow a simple formula, but also leave room for experimentation. Start with 1 part vinegar to 2 parts oil and always dissolve salt or an acidic element into the vinegar before adding oil. Incorporate additional ingredients or substitute flavored vinegars and oils for a personalized dressing that brings out the flavor of the locally grown lettuce that can be found at the market all year long. Here are a few of my favorite variations: